Waltrip Plans Retirement Tour

Notebook

Darrell Waltrip is known for his quick wit and sharp tongue, but Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he was uncharacteristically melancholy.

It seems the prospect of his retirement next season has quieted him.

``To be leaving a sport that has meant so much to my family ... the business side I can talk about,'' Waltrip said. ``The racing side, leaving this sport, hanging up my helmet - that's hard to talk about.''

Waltrip will race his 29th year on the circuit in what he has dubbed ``Victory Tour 2000.'' His goal is to live up to that name by winning at least one race, which may not be easy because he has been winless for seven years.

``It would be kind of a farce if we said it was a victory tour and didn't produce a victory,'' said Waltrip, who is third on NASCAR's all-time wins list with 84. He has the most wins in the modern era, which dates to 1972.

While Waltrip was weepy during his retirement announcement, his weekend didn't get much better. He stalled during qualifying, then was 32nd-fastest.

BRIEFLY

AMIDST MUCH criticism over shaving his mustache, Dale Earnhardt has decided to grow it back right away. Perhaps that's partly because of superstition. In 1982, the last time he shaved his mustache, Earnhardt had 18 DNFs (did not finishes), blew 15 engines and was 12th in points. ... Winston Cup owner Butch Mock announced the merger of his race team with Galaxy Enterprises, a company owned by newspaper owner and publisher Darwin Oordt. ... Buckshot Jones was the fastest during General Motors testing at Indy in mid-July didn't quite live up to that standard. He was 48th fastest during qualifying.